Sions



(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2. H. H. SESSIONS. CURTAIN ROD FOR CAR BERTHS.

No. 440,657. Patented Nov. 18,1890.

im @WSNS m,

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

HENRY HOWARD SESSIONS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE PULLMANS PALACE CAR COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

CURTAIN-ROD FOR CAR-BERTHS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 440,657, dated November 18, 1890'. pplication filed October 10, 1889. Serial No. 326,624. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY HOWARD SES- sIoNs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Curtain-Rods, of which the following is a specification.

In the construction of sleeping-cars curtain-rods are provided which extend parallel to the sides of the car and which are usually supported by brackets secured to the deck structure. These rods, beingpermanently secured within plain sight of the occupants of the car, must be finished to harmonize with the interior decorations and furnishings of the car, and are therefore expensive. As they are used only when the berths are made up and then only to support the curtains which almost entirely conceal them, their cost as at present constructed is out of proportion to the value of the use to which they are applied. Besides the cost of construction it requires considerable expense of labor to keep them polished, and they also, to some extent, obstruct the free use of the car in the day-time and give it a cramped appearance toward the roof.

It is the object of my invention to provide sleeping-cars with curtain-rods which maybe concealed from view during the day-time, or when the upper berths are not made up, and which are adapted to be placed in position to support the curtains at night; and to this end I provide for each section of the sleeping-car a rod of such length asto fold between the brackets or end partitions of the upper berths, which rods are supported upon swinging arms. I also provide a convenient means for locking the curtain-rods in their extended positions.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a perspective view from the interior of a sleeping-car, the upper berth being opened and the curtain-rod extended. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section through one side wall and a portion of the roof and deck of a sleeping-car, showing the upper berth and curtain-rod in two positions; and Figs. 3, et, and 5 are detail views of the locking mechn anism.

In the drawings, A represents the side wall of a car, B the roof, and C the deck.

D represents an upper berth structure pivoted, as usual, to the side wallA and supported by the cable CZ. On the sides of the brackets E, which form the end partition of the upper berth, are secured the studs F, and on these studs are pivoted the swinging arms Gr, which support at their outer ends the rods H, said rods being of a length to adapt them to fold within the space of the upper berth, and the arms being of such length as to carry the curtain-rods a suitable distance from the decl wall-that is, to the outside of the berth when made up. Then the upper berth is closed, as shown in Fig. 2, the arms will swing down and the rod and arms will be concealed. Vhen the upper berth is lowered, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 2, the rods will be swung out to the position shown by the dotted lines in said figure and in full lines in Fig. 1. In order to lock the arms in their extended po` sition and also to prevent their vibration, I deem it preferable to notch the timber H, which forms the finish below the deck structture, as at 7L, andinto these notches the arms G swing when extended. To lock them in this position I provide the locking-bolts I, which may move in ways formed in the timber H, and which are normally projected into the lockingnotches by means of the springs 'L'. The faces of the locking-bolts are preferably beveled, so that as the arms swing up they force back the bolt against the action of t-he spring until the lockingwrecess g in the arm G is opposite the head of the bolt, when the latter will enter the notch, and the locking is thus effected automatically. To unlock the arms simulaneously, I provide the links J, which are connected at one end to the bolts I and at the other end to a slotted plate K, through the slot of which protrudes a plug L, having a key-seat in its outer end, which may be flush with the face of the timber H. The

key being inserted in this plug its turning IOO less cost.

struction herein shown may be made without departing from the spirit of my inventionas, for example, in the method of supporting and locking the rods, in the form of the arms, and in the relative location and arrangement of parts. The rods or arms may carry the usual hat and coat hooks. As therods and arms are concealed during the day-time by being folded into the berth-space and at night by the curtains, they may be made with less iinish and of cheaper materials, and hence at The removal of the rods from view during the day not only improves the appearance of the car, but prevents the obstruction of the passage of light from the deck-win dows.

I clairnd 1. A curtain-rod for sleeping-car berths, supported upon swinging arms pivotaliy connected to the car structure and adapted to be swung into the berth-space, substantially as described.

2. A curtain-rod for sleeping-car berths, supported upon swinging arms pivotally con nected to the car-structu re and adapted to be swung into the berth-space so as to be concealed when the berth is made up, and suitable means for locking the rod in its extended position, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the permanent partition-walls between the upper berths of sleeping-cars, of bracket-studs' projected from said walls, arms pivoted to said studs, and a rod carried by said arms toward their free ends and adapted to be swung'into the berthspace between the partition-walls, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with sleeping-cars, of curtain-rods supported upon swinging arms pivotally connected to the car structure, and

spring-actuated locking-bolts adapted to engage the arms and connected to apivoted plate, whereby they may be simultaneously disengaged, substantially as described.

HENRY HOWARD SESSIONS.

Witnesses:

FREDERICK C. GooD'WN, N. M. BOND. 

